PLEASE UPDATE!

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

Really, it's my own fault for leaving the damned thing up as long as I did, but, damn, I'm annoyed.

I have a fic I posted only the first chapter to just over a year ago sitting at the bottom of my FF.net account (and here). I've gotten a few reviews for it, but this just took the cake.

On FF.Net, they have a PM system. Today, I got the following:

hi can you you update the "volts tour" story its sounds really good and i

cant wait to see what happens next! please?

To which I replied:

Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, that if I could, I WOULD have updated the damned thing? What the hell? Call me a b-tch or whatever you want, but you just managed to really ** me off.

If an author hasn't updated a damned story in near over a year, then that

means they're not likely to any time soon just because you asked. What, do you think your asking nicely makes idea's suddenly appear into my head? Do you think it makes writing that much easier?

I mean, unless you just want some half-assed piece of crap I pulled from

nowhere just to appease you.

Look, it's cool that you like the story, but sending a PM to someone just to

ask for an update when they may have more pressing matters to deal with is pretty messed up. Unless I was gonna get paid for my fan fiction (which is illegal, so no) I don't want to hear ** about my not updating.

Kthnxbai.

Now, I feel I may have been a bit of an , but crap like that annoys me to no end. It's bad enough getting the "Update Please" review all the time, but that it's in PM form seems to annoy me more then a normal review could. Maybe it's 'cause a PM is harder for me to ignore since it's only goes to my e-mail rather then on the site. Maybe it's 'cause it's for a story I haven't had any inspiration for in a long, long time, so I feel really shitty now since my ability to write as of late has been waning.

I really need to clean up my FF.Net account, there are some truly bad stories on there. I tend to forget to do that since I consider AFF.Net my main place to post, even though I get less hits and reviews here, I get more reviews of actual substance, which are worth more to me anyway.

Am I just being a jerk here, or am I really justified?

[DarkCabaret]

I think what you said is fine! I mean unless she's got fics posted then she has no right to try to force you to update. The only way I'd ever FORCE an update is if I got HUNDREDS of those. I finally couldn't handle all the fics I had so the majority was deleted.

Some people just don't understand that writing takes time.

[madlodger]

Wow, Pixagi, you made a little kid cry. They might of been 14 or 15 for what we know (considering it's FF.net)

They were wrong PMing you though, this sort of message should be posted on a story review board.

You are not being a jerk but came on a bit hard.

Posting *ON HOLD* before Summary sends a clear message not to bug the Author.

[TerraBreaker]

lol, a bit harsh for a pretty standard fare comment. I myself wouldn't have graced it with a reply though

Fics get updated if and when the author can be bothered to do so, fan opinions and demands are nice but irrelevant.

[NightScribe]

It was a bit terse, but I can understand it. If an update hadn't been made in a year or more, it's pretty obvious that the story is either dead, or at least in limbo. Sending a PM, rather than posting as a review, would set me off, too. Kind of on the flip side, I've read a story or two that were awesome and wanted to leave a review, but then noticed that it was posted maybe three years ago and the author never did anything after that, so I never commented, figuring they left the site. It seems like this person wasn't very observant, Pix, and that's what's really frustrating.

In fact, I've got one chapter up of a story up on AFF that I have no intention of finishing and I should delete it. I've got another with 16 chapters up and I most likely won't finish that one either (dropped out of the fandom), but the last chapter I did post could be read as the end of the story; in fact, one reviewer even said so, so I'll keep that one up.

And I know how personal matters can impact creativity; it's why I stopped on one of my fics, back in March. It's only just now that I've got inspiration and the motivation to start working on something fresh. Hang in there, Pix, and don't worry; we're all prone to ism now and then.

[EveKnight75]

PMs are pushing the matter. I do think your reply was harsh, but it certainly wasn't unwarranted.

Both of my biggest fics haven't been updated in over a year, and I've still gotten reviews within the past week. Instead of "update soon please!", I'm getting "It's been over a year and you haven't updated, so I have to assume that you're not going to. Still, I wish you would because this is an amazing story and I'd really like to read more."

Best guilt trip ever.

[DarkCabaret]

Eve: I have a fic that is clearly posted as one-shot and someone said "Can't wait to see what happens next" Forgot where it was posted lol but my only reply was "Well it's a one-shot fic. I don't really plan on adding more chapters to it, however a sequel is in the works"

[EveKnight75]

The thing is, neither of those fics are one-shots, neither have a "Complete" tag on FF, both have a WIP tag on AFF, both have a "hiatus" sign that's been up forever.

I think I only got one stupid review on my one shot that indicates that the person didn't seem to get that it's complete. And here it is:

write more please. i hope peter gets jan pregnant

I have a sneaking suspicion she meant to review the other fic in the same fandom (there's a portrait of Jan and Peter look-a-like from several centuries ago, and the Jan look-a-like is pregnant). That's why I chose to simply overlook the review.

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

Okay, so now I don't feel so bad...

I'm really going soft now. I used to rip into people before, writing things far more scathing then that. Now I'm kinda hoping I DID make her cry... erg... I'm a very evil person. I kick puppies.

[Guest DarkAvenger]

Honestly... I'd have been affronted if I got that reply. However, I'm not stupid enough to PM someone begging them to finish something they've abandoned.

Sure, I've asked someone (more like begged with a notation that I realized there was little hope they would) to update something they'd left abandoned for years. But when something's a really awesome plotline and the author isn't some incompetent fool (like a good 60% of my fandom) it's hard to just let a great fic go... But I left it in a review, for them to delete or ignore if they wanted. Honestly though, at places like mm.org, you get an email for the review or a PM. What's the difference?

Maybe the person thought you'd never get the review and wanted to ensure that you knew they loved the story.

There's my two cents worth, and only cause you asked. Dun eat me! XD

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

There's my two cents worth, and only cause you asked. Dun eat me! XD

Oh, don't worry -gives head scritchies-

I hadn't thought of that, but it's still damned stupid. Nearly everyone on FF.net has their reviews e-mailed to them, including myself.

Okay, people might think that's weird, that I'd be so pissed a PM, even if a review was to be e-mailed to me anyway.

It feels to me that if you send a PM, you're REALLY wanting the person to see what you sent. REALLY.

[Keith Inc.]

Well, to be fair, the way i find most stories i read is to find what else was written by an author i've enjoyed. I'm more interested in the story itself, and seldom notice the dates.

If it was updated a week ago or two years, it's all the same to me.

I would HOPE that i woulc more courteously express my interest. Something along the lines of 'I hope that more of this is coming' rather than 'you must write more now.'

[Elvy]

My favorite is when you've completed a piece and the reviewers go "update please!"

Umm...yeah...did you miss the end part where I type "FIN?" Or at the very least I say in my author's notes "Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this piece." I mean, y'know...I thought common sense could clearly dictate that I was done writing the piece.

[Acal]

Comments like that makes you wonder about the intellgence of some people, theres this story that would be my favourite HP story its got 97 chapters probably only 2 or 3 more chapters until its completly finished but the author just completly vanished her email doesn't work and her LJ seems to be abandoned that is sort of when you'd really want it to be finished seeing as it was WIP for almost 2 years while she was writing it

[Guest orleans]

My favorite is when you've completed a piece and the reviewers go "update please!"

Very true; I have received some of those too. I think it's really funny, because you ask yourself: "Hey, did they read your story or not?" Or did they just overlook the "Fin" in the end???

It's stupid, really, but on the other hand sort of complimenst; they like what ypu do and want more... the typical consumer (I'm mean, I know)

Comments like that makes you wonder about the intellgence of some people, theres this story that would be my favourite HP story its got 97 chapters probably only 2 or 3 more chapters until its completly finished ,,,,

It's indeed a bit annoying, I agree, but you don't know what is behind it. There can be an family emergency, or something as bad.

I mean, people want to read stories to the end, but they tend to forget that Real Life does not care about it and has the tendency to interfere. An unfinished story isn't that important in comparison.

I just hope I didn't write too much rubbish here.....

[Solaris]

And death of the author is a bit of a problem too.

There are a few stories that will never be finished because the author died in the middle of writing the story.

Even in RL there is an author who croaked and left his story undone. Now that one really bites!

Beth

[Wolfie]

The reviews that make me shake my head are the ones that you get along these lines and I quote this...

NOOOOOOOO

I'm not reviewing the fic; I'm crushed that you removed your Jinta/Ururu fic!

WHHHHYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!

All I can do is laugh and shake my head. If this person is so crushed, then why didn't they review the story when it was up?

This irks me that they go onto a story that you have posted and ask things like this.

This is the first time it happened in Bleach..

The other time was when I took down one of my HP stories titled The Little Girl I wasn't happy with the story and not only did the girl hound me on my other fics, she had enough nerve to hound me on instant messagers about it, begging me to put the story back up. This story hadn't been up in over a year and she still for months, after me telling her nicely, no I don't have the story saved, and it won't be back online, it might be on disk, and after checking said disks, never found the story and told her, she still continued to ask.

[Shirotaka]

I personally feel it is the greatest honor an author can get to have this kind of thing happen to them.. I wish I wrote well enoguh for people to beg for more..

Hell I wish I could do anything well enoguh for anyone to ask for more.. Sheesh even tolerate more.. ^^

[icewo1f]

Ah the very reason i keep miles and miles of notes on all of my stories! Reviews keep me going!

[bitBlackmage]

I'm nortorious for never finishing a fic... well I finished one and even that I deleted months after finishing or was it a year? Who knows! Although I do know that though I took them down, they had a ripple affect on the YYH community in terms of ideas. I didn't know whether or not to be flattered or weirded out. Sometimes I get people asking me what I did with old stories, but no one really pushes the letter into stalking or harrassment and I'm glad for it.

[Kettle]

My favorite is when you've completed a piece and the reviewers go "update please!"

I don't really mind that because it means people want more - and it makes me want to write more. I only do one-shots because I have a thing about not putting up a story till it's all done, so when I get the "update please!" reviews a) I don't feel guilty because it clearly says "The End" on the last page and sometimes I get inspired to write a sequel. I wouldn't have written "Stud" if someone hadn't reviewed "Welcome Home, Noble Voyager" asking for more. And if I hadn't gotten an encouraging review for "Stud" I probably wouldn't have written "Conga" which takes place in the same continuity as the other two fics.

[Harley Quinn hyenaholic]

Just saying now, to all my reviewers...

I do love you all, but I don't actually pay you a damn of attention when you're asking for new updates. Most of the time, I intend my updates to be a week apart no matter what, although lately it's been a bit irregular.

So saying "Please Update!" doesn't change anything.

[MessrsMoony]

I personally think that was a little rude. When I read fanfics I don't tend to look at the dates it was updated or posted. And more often than not, at least in my case, if someone reviews asking for it to be update, it means there's someone reading it, and the writer would be more optimistic about continuing it. Perhaps that's just me. I love getting reviews from people saying that want to hear more from me. It keeps me motivated. Even if it is a fanfic from over a year ago.

[sumeragichan]

Well, I'm guilty of taking a while in between chapters or rewriting somethings after going over them. Life has a way of getting in the way. Still, please update doesn't bother me so much... It may just be me but your response was a bit harsh all things considered.

[LadyMoonStone]

It was a little harsh, but sending you a PM was crossing the line. I would never even think to do something like that. Writing can be difficult sometimes. Some stories flow easily, while others don't. I wish more readers would understand that.